The Barabanki incident wherein a woman was allegedly set to fire by cops at a police station has brought focus to illegal detention, a practice that is said to be widely prevalent in UP and other states.
In this case a man from Gaha village was picked up from Gaha village and brought to the Kothi Police station on the pretext of murder probe. When his wife went to the police station and pleaded with the policemen to release her husband, she was pushed out of the premises. She went back to the police station on Monday morning again to get her husband released but she was set afire after the policemen allegedly attempted to rape her.
The illegal detention of the man was brought to the notice of the Barabanki superintendent of police as well by local journalists. The woman’s son is a journalist with a local Hindi daily.
Talking to HT, a local journalist said, “We pleaded with the police officers to release the man as he had no role in the murder nor was he named in the FIR. But the police officers paid no heed to our plea.”
A senior police officer said, “The state home department had given clear instructions to the district police officers not to detain people illegally. The cases of suicide in police station by illegal detainees have also come to light. The state human rights commission has issued notices to the officers concerned on the charge of illegal detention as well,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior police officer said, “The state home department had given clear instructions to the district police officers not to detain people illegally. The cases of suicide in police station by illegal detainees have also come to light. The state human rights commission has issued notices to the officers concerned on the charge of illegal detention as well,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Social activist Manoj Singh said, “Strict action should be taken against the police personnel who indulge in illegal detention.”
“Only those people against whom cases have been registered can be detained in the police station for interrogation. The police should also inform the family members about the detention. A person wanted in a case of crime can be held at a police station for 24 hours after which the police have to produce him in court,” he added.